E-governance centres to make getting a driving licence easier

The centres will help people fill forms to obtain driving licences or register their vehicles online

Common service centres will enable people to make payments online.(HT File Photo)

Maharashtra’s motor vehicle department (MVD) is in the process of adopting a digital and cashless platform — much like those seen at passport offices — to register vehicles and issue driving licences.

However, the move has worried those who do not have smartphones or an internet connection at home.

So that such people do not have to resort to approaching agents and touts, officials said they can now avail of MVD’s new digital platforms at a low cost and without any hassles at common service centres (CSCs) set up across the state.

The MVD has signed a memorandum of understanding with CSC e-governance Services India Limited — a special purpose vehicle of the Union government, which facilitates RTO-related services — to establish these centres.

MVD officials said CSCs will provide e-governance services to the public.

The centres will help people fill forms to obtain driving licences or register their vehicles online.It will also help them make payments online.

To do so, the department has synchronised the State Bank of India e-Pay and CST Wallet to its new upgraded versions of SARATHI and VAHAN, systems that were used as databases to register driving licences and vehicles.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed upgraded, web-based versions of these systems, SARATHI 4.0 and VAHAN 4.0, in which, paying online and uploading documents is mandatory, unlike the earlier online system.

The MVD is in the process of switching to these systems at all regional transport offices (RTOs) across the state, and plans to do so by the end of the year.

The new systems are already functional at two RTOs in Mumbai. “SARATHI 4.0 will be implemented at the Wadala RTO in Mumbai on January 4,” said a senior MVD official.

A fee of Rs20 will be levied on those using the CSC and a receipt of the transaction will be generated.

Transport commissioner Pravin Gedam has instructed all the RTOs in the city to provide proper training to CSC operators and teach them how to use the upgraded systems.

They will also be taught how to fill forms and make payments online, so they are better equipped to help customers. A 10mbps broadband connection is necessary for the new system to function smoothly.